GUWAHATI: Deceased music legend Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and 4th North East India Festival (NEIF) in Singapore organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested by the Assam Police in Delhi and brought to Guwahati on Wednesday morning.
Given public anger, the two were taken out of the airport under heavy security arrangements and produced before the court of Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate.
The court sent the duo to a 14-day police remand. The hearing took place at the judge’s residence as courts are closed for Durga Puja.
Sharma and Mahanta had been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
Special Director General of Police (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, who heads the nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), told the media that a lookout notice through the Interpol was issued earlier against the two persons.
He said based on the notice, immigration authorities at the Delhi international airport detained Mahanta soon after his arrival from Singapore. Subsequently, he was handed over to a team of the Assam Police that was camping in the national capital.
Gupta said Sharma was arrested near the Delhi-Haryana border. The Assam Police recovered Garg’s mobile phone that was reportedly in Sharma’s possession.
Director General of Police Harmeet Singh assured, “There will be a final result in the case. Keep faith in us.”
Garg (52) had died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in Singapore on September 19. He had travelled to the country to take part in the NEIF.
His family was relieved after the arrest of the two persons. His wife Garima, was hopeful that the investigators would be able to unravel the mystery surrounding the death.
“We all want to know what exactly happened to him in his last moments. I am confident the investigation will progress well and everything will come to light. We believe we will get justice soon,” she told the media on the 13th day rituals of the deceased singer in his native place Jorhat.
Garg’s sister Palme Borthakur said, “Now that the two persons have been arrested, we are feeling slightly better. Justice will be delivered.”
Stating that the police and the government are doing their job in the right way, she appealed to people to keep trust in the system.
All Assam Students’ Union demanded exemplary punishment for the arrested persons. It said the police must ensure that they could not evade justice by taking advantage of flaws in the probe.
Over 60 FIRs were lodged against Sharma, Mahanta and others in connection with the death. The arrests come amid intense pressure on the Assam government to deliver justice in the case. Recently, the government had given time till October 6 to the two arrested persons to surrender.
Mahanta’s all bank accounts have already been frozen. The police launched a separate probe against his alleged involvement in organised financial crimes.